A smoking show top to bottom. The first type II Roses in eons (going back to the fall 98 closer at the same venue..?) was an early treat. The version had a lot of energy from the get-go given the implied nod to Ween's recent breakup and it carried over almost out of necessity into a gorgeous jam. The first of many highlights on this night. The Maze saw a lot of extra attention from Page (who was on fire all night, much to Trey's acknowledgment throughout), and then as if that weren't enough, a Ghost-like slow and chunky turned funky Bathtub Gin to close made for a very satisfying first set.

Set two is worth hearing start to finish, really. The go-to Disease opener somewhat resembled 6/7's chance-taking Ghost, and by the time Sand came around Trey was noticeably loose and firing on all cylinders. He immediately brought out very atypical funky dance groove in Sand akin to the Boogie from the previous night, with a just little more staccato style thrown-in, and more melodic vision. Really slick, sexy stuff that segued seamlessly into Nellie Kane. Trey hit notes in everything though, from the end of Makisupa to the old school short but SLAMMING Mike's (no, really), and a boogie-down 2001 that went to Weekapaug like-territory. Extra mustard all over the place, jaws all over the floor by the time they decided to rekindle an old classic pairing and treat us to a bonus Oh Kee Pah before the Suzy. Summer tour's on folks!

Oh, and they played a *great* long and experimental Shafty during soundcheck. Bonus soundboard material, please!

this was the most confident, assured, purposefully played show i've been to since 1.0. while it may have not had a signature moment as memorable as thursday's carini -> boogie, phish ate the face off of every song they played.

what really jumped out for me was the confidence of theyre playing. the vocals in the free chorus were strong as ever (the FREEEEEE! is what drives that song home). roses went type 2 for the first time since what, cypress, that patience is rare for a 3rd song in. julius settled into a playful muted groove, as did the gin, a slow, funky reading that steadily picked up steam and threatened to hose (a little ripcord at the end, but i was satisfied).

dwd went type 2 and was allowed to explore its space before settling into sand. the sand jam went beyond its normal boundaries, with some key changes, and the most well executed segue ive ever seen into nellie cane.

but the undisputed centerpiece of this show was a raging mikes song. best of 3.0. by 2001, the band was just showing off.

I guess this one is going to get a little underrated due to the revelatory playing from the night before. While I probably prefer the first night to the second night, I am pretty surprised this show is sitting with a relatively average 4.0 out of 5 rating as some of the best transitions Phish has done in a LONG time happened at this show. In the first set alone, you get a much welcomed jam out of Roses, and delightfully patient Julius, a rocking Maze, and a VERY creative Gin to close it out. Of course in the second set you get a very confident Disease to start things off, which slides into a short but very very tight Sand. However, what happens next is something that has been very conspicuously from Phish 3.0: an unbelievably smooth segue out of Sand into Nellie Kane of all things. It has to be heard to be believed. The Mike's Groove, although not as exploratory as one might have hoped given the recent more risk-taking attitude that Phish has been exploring, was still completely ripping. Also, this set contains one of the most confident 2001's in the modern era. I mean, it's pretty obvious if Phish extrapolates on what they did at DCU, we're in for a hell of a summer. They lit up the Centrum on Thursday and Friday night, giving us (hopefully) the blueprint with which Phish can silence their harshest critics with. Download BOTH shows.

@itsice88 and that fine specimen @andrewrose have it -- sweet fancy Moses this Roses jam is some of my favourite 'Phish 3.0' and I'm stunned that it's the fourth song of the show -- and/but I wanna add that the Character Zero to close this second set is absolutely DISGUSTING and should be heard immediately. It's got a little bit of an Ocelot/Alaska feel during the unexpectedly grimy, dig-that-mother-sleepin'-in-the-gutter section that precedes Trey's usual hose to close.

First set was easily one of my favorite sets that I've been lucky enough to witness. Second set was some stellar, tight, and experimental phish. Tons of highlights to this show, but my personal faves were pretty much the whole first set, and the disease through Nellie Kane, and mikes. Character 0 was as upbeat and bopping as ever, and the encore was one that left you with a massive smile on your face. Great show. So excited for AC and I can't wait to see the bonnaroo setlist. They've definitely been practicing. I love phish.

Solid 3.0 show, much more relaxed and fluid than at any point this era. One important point missed by Phish.net folks is the Roses jam has many teases from other Ween songs, lending credence to the point that this was a tribute of sorts. Most pronounced and repeated is Reggaejunkiejew - the bassline dominates the jam, but also The Mollusk, the Grobe, Captain Fantasy and Dr. Rock.

Excellent show... best weekend start I've had in a while... Andy... good luck in getting your doa position at the hospital and John... thanks for making me see the light... Anyways... Excellent first and second sets... Great encore... This band played tight.....

This felt like a slightly above average 3.0 show, mostly centered on Trey, with many songs moving toward the predictable guitar peaking, fist-pumping, lights blaring climax. It was fun, and the audience seemed happy with it, and I was glad to be there. But after the more patient explorations of the first night, when the band really played *together,* this night was a bit of let-down.

so I have now listened to every show from Summer 2012 (twice in most cases) and I have to say DCU 2 is a lot stronger than DCU 1...there I said it...I am putting DCU 2 in my top 5 from the summer (up there with Dicks1, Dicks2, BGCA3, SPAC3). this DCU 2 show is worth multiple spins start to finish.

6/7, I saw Dr. John at The Paradise, so I missed what sounds like a great Ghost/Boogie. I figured Dr. John may be retiring soon, so I didn't want to miss him. I'm still kicking myself now...

...But see I got into Phish in 2009 during a period where I was going to concerts nonstop. If anything was the least bit interesting, I'd go see it. I went to the symphony over 10 times that year (thanks to a student discount program), I went to jazz shows, was into world music, saw a bunch of rock bands I'd been meaning to see for years. From 2000-2009, I just wasn't into live music (except dance parties if that counts), and in '09, I finally was in a place where I could go out a ton.

Manchester 10-26-10 was amazing was the first real sublime moment I experienced with Phish. The two shows I caught at DCU and the one at Great Woods were good, but I just wasn't electrified.

Looking back at it, I can't prove that this had anything to do with the band's playing (although I thought song selection and jamming was off at the Worcester shows).

Honestly, I was ready to give up.

About a minute into Free, I knew that a real resurgence was going on. Kill Devil Falls had this real nice groove to it, and I was psyched during the soloing of Roses are Free. The rest of the show was just ecstasy. I haven't listened to the MP3's, and I'd prefer to just have the memories.

I remember leaving the show and hanging around the venue in no hurry to go home. Finally climbing up the hill to our car, and feeling so psyched...I felt like The Dead were back or something. If memory serves me correctly, I bought Bader Field Tickets sometime that week after returning home.

I stopped seeing other bands due to lack of funds. Phish are the only band I will spend money on. This show marks the beginning of my true devotion.

Big fan of this show. If 6.7's raucous party of a second set hadn't signaled the beginning of summer terr, the jam in Roses sure as hell did. Once they wrap the song and drop into that chugga-chugga-chugga pulsing ain't-no-cares-in-the-world beat you just knew summer terr was on like donkey kong. The beginning 60 seconds of the jam are perhaps the most joyous of the whole summer. If you listen to the AUD's it's no secret the crowd was feelin' it.

Besides that first set highlight, the out of left-field plinko-y Sand -> Nellie Kane segue is off-the-wall fun and Character Zero is as dirty as the song is likely to get. Trey's guitar sounds like it's a growling monster ascending from the depths. It's gnarly shit, indeed. Oh, and this 2001 is easily the best of 3.0.

I can't sit here and tell you this is one of the best shows of the summer, to warrant such a description it would need one BIG marquee moment, but this is a finely played show with many subtle (and some not so subtle) oddities. I endorse this show without hesitation. It's numerous, if not mostly brief, quirks far outweigh any singular detractor I could find.

Really all about sprach. Second free opener ever eh... But roses was solid no doubt, and with the gassy DWD set II opener things took off. Second set was solid rockers no doubt up and down. Snap me a good makisupa any day of the week. Wanted sand to explode like everyone else ya? Ship it til the next one

i had a blast their and while i have some mixed thoughts. some very highs and some lows. after listening to the soundboard i have two things to say. 1) that slowed down julious f'n rocks!!! 2) sand>nelly cane is not far behind

Along with Roses, Character Zero definitely deserves to be heard. Gosh it's such a NASTY version. At one point Trey puts so many effects on his guitar that half the notes he plays come out sounding rather muted, and the other half sound pronounced and dirty as all hell. Definitely got my attention!

Posting this review more than a year after I was at the show, but better late than never, right? I've listened to this show probably a dozen times in the intervening year; I just love it so much.

First off: the sound this night was phenomenal. I've been to two dozen shows at DCU (formerly the Centrum) over the years and it's usually an echo-filled cavern. The Phish sound engineers worked some pure magic though, because I could hear everything perfectly. No echoes, and the volume was perfect. I didn't even need earplugs and this place can get LOUD.

The DWD>Sand>Nellie Kane seque gets all the raves, but you know what my two favorite songs from the whole night are? The Free set I opener and the "2001" from near the end of set II. I'm a bass player, so I'm always cued into what Mike's playing. Let me tell you, he's dropping some BOMBS during his solo segment on Free. I love it! And the way they extend the intro before finally settling into the verses was sweet.

The version of 2001 from the end of the night was pure chill ecstasy. At 9 1/2 minutes, it's a significantly longer version than the 5 minute interludes they typically do. Rather than bridging the gap between more prominent songs, the boys rightfully give this song its moment in the sun. They quickly find a chill-funk "happy zone" and decide to stay there a while, and I'm glad they did. I play this version of 2001 regularly when I'm on my way in to work - it puts me in such a good, relaxed mood. It's the perfect way to start the day.

Overall, this show doesn't get as much love as Worcester night 1, but it's my favorite of the two hands-down. I'll be in the minority when I say this, but I also believe this show belongs in any discussion about best overall shows from 2012. (No, there's no virtuoso jamming like Dick's night 1 or MSG nights 1 and 3, but *every* song is played perfectly. There's no dull moments.)

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